I found myself stepping into my position as head of clinical excellence at Grow Therapy at a time when skepticism in the mental health field was at an all-time high.
And honestly, who can blame us clinicians for feeling a bit wary? It seems like every day, there’s a new company popping up, promising to change the game, but leaving us therapists wondering who’s in it for the right reasons.
This skepticism comes from a good place — a place of wanting to protect the integrity of our work and the well-being of those we help. That’s something I deeply respect.
With so many questionable practices in our space right now, transparent leadership has never been more important. My goal is to operate with transparency as I provide insights into Grow Therapy’s vision.
My journey to this point, both personally and professionally, has been about finding genuine connections and making a real difference, without compromising the values of mental health. Holding onto these core values is key while my team here at Grow Therapy works to address some of the challenges we’re facing together.
Grow Therapy’s Values
I have a set of values that I hold close to my heart — my non-negotiables — and I’m not willing to compromise. As a leader at Grow Therapy, I work to ensure that these same values are reflected in our services and brand voice.
Authenticity and Consistency
I’m the same person at home as I am at work. In my opinion, work-life balance is a misnomer because work is a huge part of life. The relationships I have with my coworkers are almost as important as the ones I have with my family. It’s this blending of work and life, and staying the same person no matter where I am, that makes my job fulfilling.
Mental Health as a Calling
Mental health care is a job, but it’s also more than that. The work we do genuinely matters, sometimes to the point of life or death. I’ve always felt that if you commit to a role with meaning and purpose, it’s more than just a job – it’s a calling. I know that my responsibility is to take care of our people so they can take care of others. This sense of responsibility drives me every day and is a huge part of who I am.
Understanding and Respect
Having an inclusive and effective workplace means valuing the unique experiences we each offer. We have to go beyond a surface-level professional respect to recognize and appreciate everyone’s unique contributions. There’s work involved – you have to get to know each other better and be willing to push past awkwardness. But the only way to build a mental health workplace worth building is to commit to this deep-level understanding.
Ethics in Practice
I believe in the importance of doing the right thing rather than just being right. Like most clinicians I know, every decision and action I take is guided by this principle – ethical practice is always the priority. Mental health providers must be consistent and trustworthy in all our interactions.
Autonomy and Flexibility
As a practicing clinician, I understand the desire for autonomy. I don’t want to be a W2 clinician; I prefer to run my own show. This belief in autonomy and flexibility is something I advocate for and value. Therapists are experts at what they do, so we should empower them to run their practice their way.
Why Grow Therapy?
I found that at Grow Therapy, it was possible for the values I held so close to be operationalized in practical ways. Grow’s commitment to ethical practice aligns perfectly with my belief in doing the right thing. Their ethical standards help make sure that decisions are guided by integrity and a focus on the well-being of both clinicians and clients. And when they make mistakes (as everyone does) they’re quick to make it right.
Grow prioritizes the autonomy of clinicians by supporting the 1099 model. That means that therapists contracting with Grow get to maintain control over their practice, choose their clients, and manage their work in a way that aligns with their personal and professional goals. Without this flexibility, Grow can’t help therapists develop a sense of ownership and satisfaction in the work they do.
Grow’s culture embraces clinical insights at every stage, demonstrated by my hiring and active role. I have the privilege of being involved with almost all teams at Grow, from initial brainstorming sessions to the final launch of new initiatives. I love how Grow makes sure that our tools and practices are clinically sound and beneficial. Clinical input drives continuous improvement and innovation so that we are always striving to go above and beyond for therapists and clients.
Grow Therapy also provides robust support to therapists and fosters a strong sense of community. Our online hub for therapists lets clinicians connect, share resources, and seek advice. We also offer clinical learning and development to help providers grow and expand their practices. In a world where so many people work from home, I am proud to be part of a company focused on creating a supportive community where therapists might be alone physically, but never emotionally.
One of Grow’s goals in providing stellar resources and support to providers is to allow them to focus on what matters most, and that’s delivering the highest quality of care to clients while raising the bar for mental health as a whole.
If you’re already working with us, or if you are just curious and have questions, please reach out. Becoming a provider in our network is a simple process and we would love for you to join us and help support our mission of making mental health accessible, affordable and a reality for all.
